When Should My Child Start Preparing for the SEAG Transfer Test?

There is a straightforward answer to this one: SEAG itself does not set a start date for preparation. The only dates it publishes are the registration deadline and the two assessment papers, both sat in P7. Everything before that is entirely up to the family. Here is how to think about the choice, honestly.

The only dates that are actually fixed

Whatever year your child starts practising, these dates apply to everyone sitting the test in the same cycle:

• Registration closes 18 September. This is the date that catches families out, since it is months before the test itself.
• The two assessment papers are sat on 14 and 21 November, a week apart, in P7.

For the full timeline, see SEAG Transfer Test Dates 2026. Nothing about preparation timing is fixed by SEAG at all, which is exactly why this is an open question for parents to answer for themselves.

Starting early: P5 or P6

Beginning a year or two ahead of P7 has real advantages, and one real risk.

• Time is on your side. Ten or fifteen minutes a few times a week, spread over a year or more, adds up to far more practice than a rushed few months ever could, without it feeling like a slog on any single day.
• Less pressure, more genuine understanding. A child who is not yet thinking about “the test” can build real comprehension and number sense rather than exam-drilled shortcuts.
• The risk: losing interest before it counts. Starting too early, or treating it too seriously too soon, can make a child switch off long before P7 arrives. The fix is keeping it light and short, not making it disappear entirely.

Starting later: P7, closer to the test

Beginning in the exam year itself is common, and it works for plenty of families. With the date in sight, both the child and the family usually know exactly what they are working towards, which can be motivating rather than stressful if it is managed calmly.

The tradeoff runs the other way, though. Two things to watch for:

• Less time to fix real gaps. If a child is unsure on a topic, for example long division or comprehension technique, there is less runway to build that understanding properly rather than just drilling the format.
• A late start makes cramming tempting. Doing too much, too close to November, tends to raise stress rather than lower it.

A simple way to decide

If you are still unsure which fits your family, this is a reasonable starting point:

1. P5 or P6 now, no rush. Start light, a few short sessions a week, and let it grow naturally as P7 approaches. There is no target to hit yet.
2. Already in P7? Focus on a steady, manageable routine rather than trying to make up for lost time all at once. Consistency between now and November matters more than the total number of months.
3. Either way, register by 18 September. Preparation timing is flexible. The registration deadline is not.

Whichever point your child starts from, tracking which topics genuinely need work, rather than just a headline score, is what actually helps you help them. See what a good SEAG score looks like for how the results themselves are worked out.